2016

Avea Flare Smarter Light Is Beautiful and Movable

I’ve become enamored of smart lighting recently and have been playing around with a few brands. Elgato, who just recently rolled out their Eve smart home accessories, also offers a line of smarter lights. These aren’t part of the Eve system but they are impressive. I was sent the $99.95 egg-shaped Avea Flare for review.


Dell XPS 15 Laptop: Bigger Really Is Better #DellXPS

The Dell XPS 13 has turned out to be such a fantastic travel laptop that I’d find myself wishing for a larger version, and the Dell XPS 15 does not disappoint. With its machined aluminum body, carbon fiber composite interior, and Gorilla Glass Infinity Edge touchscreen, the XPS 15″ manages to wedge a 15.6″ laptop into a 14″ body.


Deal: Anker Qi Charging Pad: $14.39 Shipped

Here’s a nice deal for anyone with a smartphone which supports wireless Qi charging. Amazon Deal Of The Day has this Anker Qi charging pad for $14.39 shipped. No cables or USB interface required. Input: 5V/2A; Output: 5V/1A. LED Indicator Lights: Red means it’s ready to charge, blue is charging, and both together let you know your device is fully charged. Blinking lights mean an unsupported device has been detected. You supply your own charging cable and Qi-compatible device (see below for list).   Popular Smartphones that Support Qi Enabled Direct Charging Samsung Galaxy S6 / S6 Edge / Edge+…





Eve Mattress Review: From Box to Better Night’s Sleep

A little over a year ago, I received a “bed in a box” for review. Fast forward a year, and my wife Raina suggested moving from a queen mattress to a king. Eve Mattress was one of two companies kind enough to send one of their kind mattresses for review; I’ve been sleeping on it for two weeks.


2016 Nissan Maxima 4-Door Sports Car ‘Brings It!’

Longer, lower, livelier…these are the three L’s to live by in the all-new 2016 Nissan Maxima. This is the eight-generation for the flagship four-door that leads the Nissan lineup and the automaker swears this four-door sports car – created by driving enthusiasts for driving enthusiasts – is its best yet.


The EZVIZ Mini Indoor WiFi Camera is Huge on Value!

The EZVIZ Mini is an affordable mini camera that streams audio and 720p video over your home’s WiFi network. This tiny HD camera packs a great set of features, including a 130-degree diagonal wide-angle lens, night vision, low 3.5W power consumption, motion sensing ability, and cloud/microSD video storage. The impressive EZVIZ Mini can be purchased for under $70.


Weird Science Is on Hulu, and My Productivity Is Shot!

Do you remember the USA series Weird Science? It ran in the mid-90s and was based on the John Hughes film of the same name. I loved that show because it came on every Saturday night after the kids I babysat for went to bed. So when I found it on Hulu, I dropped everything to relive the 90s!






The 2017 Kia Sportage First Drive: A Tech-Friendly CUV

Want something that looks like an SUV, handles like a sports car, that comes with all the bells and whistles without breaking the bank? You’ll want to look at the 2017 Kia Sportage CUV. I recently tried it out, and I came away impressed. Get this — the top of the line model with every option can be had for $34K!




The Surface Pro 3 Is Ready to Meet All Your Computing Needs

Years back, I got caught up in the UMPC — UltraMobilePC- fad. (I blame James Kendrick and his JKontheRun blog.) None of those devices lived up to their promise of a full PC in a small, touchscreen device. Fast forward, and that promise has been realized in the Microsoft Surface line of computers. microsoft, via CDW sent one to Judie; I “borrowed” it. 🙂



Peralta Abby iPhone Case Review: Grab Your Essentials and Go!

My wife Sarah usually carries her wallet, phone, and keys in the backpack we use as a diaper bag. Sometimes, though, she just needs to grab and go, and the enormous backpack is too much. When we were offered the chance to review the Peralta Abby iPhone Case, I asked Sarah to give it a whirl.


MyCharge HubUltra 12,000mAh Portable Charger: The Best of Both Worlds

2016 is shaping up to be the year where I constantly go back and forth between iOS and Android. As much as I love my chargers with built-in Lightning cables, they get left at home more often than not because I’m carrying an Android device. It’s better to have options, and that’s where the myCharge HubUltra comes in.